Police: Man with weapons cache was preparing for Armageddon

Originally posted by GenRadek

Although I am not too sure about the bullet-proof vests. Are those legally to own as a civilian, or are they police/military use only?

According to several sources that were posted on a recent thread (I can dig them up if need be) it is legal to own bullet-proof vests but not to use them in the commission of a felony. Except I think for convicted felons, who can't own them.

I suspect that this guys troubles come from the "infernal devices", which I've just looked up in MA law. Basically it sounds to a non-lawyer like it covers any sort of explosive and people have been charged under that statute for things ranging from garbage bags filled with gasoline to a cigarette box packed with gunpowder (Source)

M.G.L. Chapter 266, Section 102A

reply to post by americandingbat


I wonder if they can extend "infernal devices" to reloading supplies like gun powder or primers.

Not properly stored as per obscure and ridiculous state regulation so they're suddenly "bomb material."

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Yea... the very state who just recently provided the answer to all the country's woes, Scott Brown. Who, btw, was a State Rep and lawyer.

Don't most police stations have stockpiles of weapons and ammo in case of disaster? I guess someone needs to go in and start arresting those officers and confiscating their weapons.

reply to post by Wertdagf


Well according to that argument neither should you because if you remember correctly I'm not the only one.

Anyway that is a different subject for a different day. If you choose to give that thread a bump then we can talk about it.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
reply to post by americandingbat

 

I wonder if they can extend "infernal devices" to reloading supplies like gun powder or primers.

Not properly stored as per obscure and ridiculous state regulation so they're suddenly "bomb material."

Given the little I've read, I think they'd have a hard time making that stick. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't give it a try.

Either there is more to this story than meets the eye or this is the begining of the slippery slope to gun confiscations.

I know may skeet shooters or silhouette shooters who easily have 5-10 k worth of rounds . And I know plenty of people in the southwest US where 20 guns and thousands of rounds is the norm for a household .

Cases like this could very well be a statement to all gun owners and gun collectors nation wide . Lose em or we gona lock you up we will figure a way .

If there is no REAL illegal items in his inventory well then the Second amendment is really worthless now .

We need to clean house the next few election cycles to rid our government of people who IGNORE the CONSTITUTION .

reply to post by americandingbat


It is legal to own a bullet proof vest in Florida, and they sell them openly at gun shows.

However, someone I know in FDLE has told me that a high percentage of bullet proof vests on the market are decommissioned Police vests, and thus they should have been destroyed and are illegal to possess.

So, you may buy one legally and possess it legally, and you may own several guns legally, and you may buy ammunition legally, and you may need fertilizer for your garden, and you may need diesel for your tractor, and you may honestly want a peaceful and political solution via the Tea Party or other avenue, and you may be a pious and religious person seeking to protect your family and become closer to God... . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
BUT, in the eyes of the police force and DHS, you are suspicious, then they get one little claw in you, then they find out the vest was illegal, then they find out the ammo was improperly stored, then they find out that a member of your church has a record, then they find out that one of your Tea Party buddies is in a militia, and NOW YOU ARE DOOMED!!

"Tactical officers evacuated two other condominium units in Girard's building and brought residents to the police department while the search was completed."

I suspect the problems arose from the fact that he seemed to be living in a condo, which has different laws applied to it considering the "shared ownership" element of them.

This would highlight the extreme danger of having some sort of firing range in the attic, or even if he was using it for unapproved activities.

I am the first to say that gun rights come before most others, and we need to be extremely cautious when those rights are violated.

I second the idea that there must be more to the story than we know, and I hope the super-sleuths on ATS can dig up some interesting tidbits.

Peace
KJ

Good lesson here.

One of the most important things whether planning for Armageddon or Martial Law is keeping a low profile thereby not making yourself a target.

This guy made himself a target, simple.

I think that it was the grenades that did him in, not his gun collection.

Some weapons are legal, some are not. If you get caught with the ones that are not legal, you can go to jail.

He didn't play by the rules and so he lost his right to own weapons.

Note to everyone else, make sure that your weapons cache is "legal"

Just... Wow. That's a fairly obvious step towards disarming the people.

Was there any legitimate reason for this? Did the man try to deny the search? For the love of god, we need people to back this guy up!

Yes, more than one weapon and some rounds constitutes an ARSENAL.
Remember that word

Its going to be coming up very often.



meh!

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I think that it was the grenades that did him in, not his gun collection.

Some weapons are legal, some are not. If you get caught with the ones that are not legal, you can go to jail.

He didn't play by the rules and so he lost his right to own weapons.

Note to everyone else, make sure that your weapons cache is "legal"

Ding! I guess everyone missed the OPENING PARAGRAPH of the story in the OP:

Gregory D. Girard, 45, was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly storing several tear gas grenades and explosive pepper ball projectiles. He was also charged with the illegal possession of four police batons.

reply to post by Aggie Man


Good catch, and I am not familiar with MA law, but I have magazines with these items readily for sale. I could buy them on a credit card and ship them to my house, and have them by Saturday!

I would assume that if the company advertises them, and if they ship them to my state, that they must be legal. I may be wrong! But, I can see how someone would assume that and then get into some big trouble!

I have purchased police grade tear gas before from this magazine. My ex-wife fogged a small group of us in our front yard, (some of group are in law enforcement), because we wanted to test the effectiveness of it.

The article makes it sound bad, but over a few years of gun shows and silly dares and conversations, and picking up a few things here and there, I can completely understand how it could be innocently accumulated.

I'm not familiar with MA law either, but the story goes on to say:

Girard faces four counts of possession of an infernal device and four counts of possession of a dangerous weapon. Additional charges are pending, police said.

So the grenades are considered "infernal devices" and the batons are the "dangerous weapons" I suppose. I assume that they are illegal to own, otherwise, they would not have anything to charge him with.

Originally posted by METACOMET

Also, if they actually did find a firing range in his house, thats what they would have arrested him for. Instead they arrested him for guns he legally owned.

[edit on 10-2-2010 by METACOMET]

You're wrong. He wasn't arrested for legally registered firearms:

www.boston.com...

Gregory D. Girard, 45, was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly storing several tear gas grenades and explosive pepper ball projectiles. He was also charged with the illegal possession of four police batons.

I am much more concerned about nuts like this guy than I am that the government is going to declare martial law. This is what happens when paranoia runs deep...

Wouldn't surprise me if this guy was an ATS member, driven into some kind of apocalyptic delusion from all the crap that gets posted on here..

haha

An illegal indoor shooting range was also found in the attic of his condominium unit. I would say having a shooting range in a condo with neighbors would get the cops called on you and if they find illegal weapons along with a illegal shooting range in your attic you will go to jail.

Originally posted by Nomad451
Wouldn't surprise me if this guy was an ATS member, driven into some kind of apocalyptic delusion from all the crap that gets posted on here..

haha

Haha...I thought the same thing...In fact, I would think (based upon what he told police) that he is probably a well know ATSer...

Armageddon paranoia? Check
Anti government? Check
Stockpiling weapons? Check

Hell, he's probably on my friends list